Northwest Observer | June 14 - 20, 2013

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June 14 - 20, 2013

bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996 • nwobserver.com •

A very ‘cool’ guest speaker Chris Daughtry makes surprise appearance at fifth grade graduation

News In Brief ......................... 3 Your Questions ..................... 4 Oak Ridge Town Council .... 8

by PATTI STOKES, with contributions by ASHLEY ROYAL OAK RIDGE – It might have been a day of celebration for Oak Ridge elementary fifth graders, but Tropical Storm Andrea had something else in mind. For the first time in over 16 years, the fifth grade graduation pool party at the Oak Ridge Swim Club was cancelled due to bad weather.

Community Calendar........10 Bits & Pieces ........................12

dened to have missed this annual celebration,” said Ashley Royal, parent volunteer.

Crime/Incident Report .......13 Happy Father’s Day ...........14

But though the party was rained out, the day wasn’t a wash by any means. After all, the fifth graders had a pretty cool surprise in the works – unbeknownst to

“Our students were very sad-

...continued on p. 6

IN THIS ISSUE

Your Letters ..........................16 Grins & Gripes .....................16 Photo courtesy of John Burney

Chris Daughtry, left, shakes hand with a fifth grade graduate while Jackie Burney, assistant principal, looks on.

Classifieds ...........................18 Index of Advertisers ...........23

Congratulations Class of 2013! by MIKE SHAW and PATTI STOKES

Lucy Laird Northwest valedictorian

Danny Hage Northwest salutatorian

Julie Canziani Northern valedictorian

Samantha Taylordean Northern salutatorian

NORTHWEST GUILFORD H.S. With 412 graduates, Northwest High School awarded diplomas to the largest graduating class in Guilford County. The school held its 50th commencement ceremony on June 7. Lucy Laird, valedictorian, graduated with a 5.35 GPA. Laird will attend Duke university this fall. In her graduation speech, she encouraged her classmates to “Live so that your great, great

grandchildren will wish they could have known you.” Laird ended with a quote by Ralph Waldo emerson,

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Danny Hage, salutatorian, graduated with a 5.25 GPA and will attend uNC-Chapel Hill. He spoke of the school’s 50-year history, and encouraged his classmates to “embrace your Viking roots and sail with confidence into the future.” The top 25 academic students in this year’s graduating class, in alphabetical order, were JeanDominique Bonnet, Joseph Choi, Lindsay Davenport, Stephanie Fenton, Mallory Funk, Paige Guse,

...continued on p. 22


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